State-of-the-art Model Predictive Control (MPC) applications for building heating adopt either a deterministic controller together with a nonlinear model or a linearized model with a stochastic MPC controller. However, deterministic MPC only considers one single realization of the disturbances and its performance strongly depends on the quality of the forecast of the disturbances, which can lead to low performance. In fact, inadequate building energy management can lead to high energy costs and CO$_2$ emissions. On the other hand, a linearized model can fail to capture some dynamics and behavior of the building under control. In this article, we combine a stochastic scenario-based MPC (SBMPC) controller together with a nonlinear Modelica model that is able to provide a richer building description and to capture the dynamics of the building more accurately than linear models. The adopted SBMPC controller considers multiple realizations of the external disturbances obtained through a statistically accurate model, so as to consider different possible disturbance evolutions and to robustify the control action. To this purpose, we present a scenario generation method for building temperature control that can be applied to several exogenous perturbations, e.g.\ solar irradiance, outside temperature, and that satisfies several important stastistical properties, in contrast with simpler and less accurate methods adopted in the literature. We show the benefits of our proposed approach through several simulations in which we compare our method against the standard ones from the literature, for several combinations of a trade-off parameter between comfort and energy cost. We show how our SBMPC controller approach outperforms the standard controllers available in the literature.
Model-Free Control for Residential Heating: Deployment and Simulation of Nonlinear Data-Enabled Predictive Control
University of Oslo(奥斯陆大学);Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa)(瑞士联邦材料科技与工程研究院);University of Pennsylvania(宾夕法尼亚大学);Eindhoven University of Technology(埃因霍温理工大学);University of Groningen(格罗宁根大学)
We present the design, implementation and experimental validation of a supervisory predictive control approach for an electrical heating system featuring a phase change slurry as heat storage and transfer medium. The controller optimizes the energy flows that are used as set points for the heat generation and energy distribution components. The optimization handles the thermal and electrical subsystems simultaneously and is able to switch between different objectives. We show the control can be implemented on low-cost embedded hardware and validate it with an experimental test bed comprising a…
We present a data-driven nonlinear predictive control approach for the class of discrete-time multi-input multi-output feedback linearizable nonlinear systems. The scheme uses a non-parametric predictive model based only on input and noisy output data along with a set of basis functions that approximate the unknown nonlinearities. Despite the noisy output data as well as the mismatch caused by the use of basis functions, we show that the proposed multistep robust data-driven nonlinear predictive control scheme is recursively feasible and renders the closed-loop system practically exponentially…
A novel centralized model predictive control (MPC) is proposed for comfort and energy management in a residential building. The residential setup used here is equipped with a photovoltaic (PV) solar system and a stationary home battery unit. An air-to-air multi-split heat pump (HP) is used as the primary heating system. The electric baseboard (BB) unit in each zone is used as a secondary system. The MPC is simultaneously responsible for controlling the heating inputs of the HP and BB units for comfort management, as well as for the control of energy flow between the PV, the home battery and th…
This paper presents a robust and kernelized data-enabled predictive control (RoKDeePC) algorithm to perform model-free optimal control for nonlinear systems using only input and output data. The algorithm combines robust predictive control and a non-parametric representation of nonlinear systems enabled by regularized kernel methods. The latter is based on implicitly learning the nonlinear behavior of the system via the representer theorem. Instead of seeking a model and then performing control design, our method goes directly from data to control. This allows us to robustify the control input…
In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a current controller for a reluctance synchronous machine based on continuous set nonlinear model predictive control. A computationally efficient grey box model of the flux linkage map is employed in a tracking formulation which is implemented using the high-performance framework for nonlinear model predictive control acados. The resulting controller is validated in simulation and deployed on a dSPACE real-time system connected to a physical reluctance synchronous machine. Experimental results are presented where the proposed implement…
We present a numerically efficient Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) approach, called Set Membership based NMPC (SM-NMPC). In particular, a Set Membership method is used to derive from data an approximation and tight bounds on the optimal NMPC control law. These quantities are used to reduce the dimensionality and volume of the search domain of the NMPC optimization problem, allowing a significant shortening of the computation time. The proposed SM-NMPC strategy is tested in simulation, considering realistic autonomous vehicle scenarios, like parallel parking and lane keeping maneuvers…
Nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) has gained widespread use in many applications. Its formulation traditionally involves repetitively solving a nonlinear constrained optimization problem online. In this paper, we investigate NMPC through the lens of Bayesian estimation and highlight that the Monte Carlo sampling method can offer a favorable way to implement NMPC. We develop a constraint-aware particle filtering/smoothing method and exploit it to implement NMPC. The new sampling-based NMPC algorithm can be executed easily and efficiently even for complex nonlinear systems, while potenti…
Among the auxiliary loads in light-duty vehicles, the air conditioning system is the single largest energy consumer. For electrified vehicles, the impact of heating and cooling loads becomes even more significant, as they compete with the powertrain for battery energy use and can significantly reduce the range or performance. While considerable work has been made in the field of optimal energy management for electrified vehicles and optimization of vehicle velocity for eco-driving, few contributions have addressed the application of energy-optimal control for heating and cooling loads. This pa…
A new strategy is proposed to control interior permanent magnet generators in dc microgrids interfaced through an active rectifier. The controller design is based on the decomposition of the system dynamics into slow and fast modes using singular perturbation theory. An inner current controller is developed based on output regulation techniques and an outer voltage controller is proposed using Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC). The NMPC regulates the dc bus voltage and minimizes the ac side losses. Simulation results are then presented based on realistic conditions for aircraft power s…
The Unscented Transform which is the basis of the Unscented Kalman Filter, UKF, is used here to develop a novel predictive controller for non-linear plants, called the Unscented Transform Controller, UTC. The UTC can be seen as the dual of the UKF, the same way as the LQG regulator and the Kalman Filter are related. The UTC is demonstrated on the control of complex maneuvers in free fall of a virtual skydiver the model of which was verified in wind tunnel and free fall experiments.
In this paper, a novel partial form dynamic linearization (PFDL) data-driven model-free adaptive predictive control (MFAPC) method is proposed for a class of discrete-time single-input single-output nonlinear systems. The main contributions of this paper are that we combine the concept of MPC with MFAC together to propose a novel MFAPC method. We prove the bounded-input bounded-output stability and tracking error monotonic convergence of the proposed method; Moreover, we discuss the possible relationship between the current PFDL-MFAC and the proposed PFDL-MFAPC. The simulation and experiment a…
In this work, a predictive control framework is presented for feedback stabilization of nonlinear systems. To achieve this, we integrate Koopman operator theory with Lyapunov-based model predictive control (LMPC). The main idea is to transform nonlinear dynamics from state-space to function space using Koopman eigenfunctions - for control affine systems this results in a bilinear model in the (lifted) function space. Then, a predictive controller is formulated in Koopman eigenfunction coordinates which uses an auxiliary Control Lyapunov Function (CLF) based bounded controller as a constraint t…
We present differentiable predictive control (DPC) as a deep learning-based alternative to the explicit model predictive control (MPC) for unknown nonlinear systems. In the DPC framework, a neural state-space model is learned from time-series measurements of the system dynamics. The neural control policy is then optimized via stochastic gradient descent approach by differentiating the MPC loss function through the closed-loop system dynamics model. The proposed DPC method learns model-based control policies with state and input constraints, while supporting time-varying references and constrai…
The modular open-source framework GRAMPC-D for model predictive control of distributed systems is presented in this paper. The modular concept allows to solve optimal control problems (OCP) in a centralized and distributed fashion using the same problem description. It is tailored to computational efficiency with the focus on embedded hardware. The distributed solution is based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) and uses the concept of neighbor approximation to enhance convergence speed. The presented framework can be accessed through Cpp and Python and also supports plu…
Learning-based model predictive control (MPC) is an approach designed to reduce the computational cost of MPC. In this paper, a constrained deep neural network (DNN) design is proposed to learn MPC policy for nonlinear systems. Using constrained training of neural networks, MPC constraints are enforced effectively. Furthermore, recursive feasibility and robust stability conditions are derived for the learning-based MPC approach. Additionally, probabilistic feasibility and optimality empirical guarantees are provided for the learned control policy. The proposed algorithm is implemented on the F…
This paper proposes an offline control algorithm, called Recurrent Model Predictive Control (RMPC), to solve large-scale nonlinear finite-horizon optimal control problems. It can be regarded as an explicit solver of traditional Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithms, which can adaptively select appropriate model prediction horizon according to current computing resources, so as to improve the policy performance. Our algorithm employs a recurrent function to approximate the optimal policy, which maps the system states and reference values directly to the control inputs. The output of the lea…
Near Rectilinear Halo Orbits (NRHOs), a subclass of halo orbits around the L1 and L2 Lagrange points, are promising candidates for future lunar gateways in cis-lunar space and as staging orbits for lunar missions. Closed-loop control is beneficial to compensate orbital perturbations and potential instabilities while maintaining spacecraft on NRHOs and performing relative motion maneuvers. This paper investigates the use of nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) coupled with low-thrust actuators for station-keeping on NRHOs. It is demonstrated through numerical simulations that NMPC is able …
We provide theoretical guarantees for recursive feasibility and practical exponential stability of the closed-loop system of a feedback linearizable nonlinear system when controlled by a robust data-driven nonlinear predictive control scheme. This technical report serves as a supplementary material to our recent paper "Data-driven Nonlinear Predictive Control for Feedback Linearizable Systems". The arguments shown in this report follow similar steps to those for the LTI case, since feedback linearizable systems are linear in transformed coordinates. However, the proof was suitably adapted to m…